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Book Report
Jul. 14th, 2015 07:07 pmWuthering Heights by Emily Bronte – I read this book in high school, disliked it, and recently decided it deserves another go. I mean, it’s a classic, having endured for like 170 years. I recently read a book where the author appreciated classic works, and this was one of her favorites. Taking that into account, as well as the fact that it’s been more than 25 years since I read it, I sought out an audio version of Wuthering Heights. Generally, I wasn’t too bored and I liked it more than I thought I would. Is it wrong to say that I think “Jane Eyre” is so much better though and that Heathcliff really is a dick? Grade: (I don’t give grades to books that are classics. All props to an author who can pen a novel that lasts this long. By the way, I love Kate Bush but I can’t get her “Wuthering Heights” song out of my head now.)
The New Art of Capturing Love by Kathryn Hamm and Thea Dodds – The book’s subtitle is “The Essential Guide to Lesbian & Gay Wedding Photography” and that explains it exactly. The authors basically wrote this guide for people who want to get into the business of photographing LGBT weddings, and they make the case that many standard aspects of straight wedding photography are different for LGBT weddings. You won’t have a groom dressed in dark colors who is physically bigger than a bride wearing white; you might instead have two grooms in dark colors (so how do you make the photo pop), two brides (so how do you keep two voluminous gowns in the frame), you can’t do some of the old standby shots (like of the bigger groom dipping the smaller bride), and the wedding party – if there is one - is likely to be composed differently than your standard straight wedding party, etc, etc, etc. The guide part of the book was great, and I adored the many wedding photos, all in color. Makes a great coffee table book (I’m serious!) Grade: B+
Defending Jacob by William Landay – I fully admit that I read a ‘guilty pleasure’ book. This is a crime novel, about a district attorney whose son is charged with committing a heinous crime. I think part of the reason it ended up on my ‘to read’ list was because the son had been bullied and harassed, and I thought that might add an interesting dimension to the book. And you know, as much as this genre and this particular book are lightweights, I give them both full credit for holding my interest. I begin reading – but never finish – a lot of books that I no longer even bother to write about because the story wasn’t compelling. I think an author who writes a book that resists the book-marker deserves some kudos even if the book is not fine literature and even if I’ll likely have forgotten about the book in a year’s time. Grade: B-
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher – This was a mediocre book about a teenager who commits suicide, but not before leaving her classmates a series of tapes explaining why she did it. The story is told through the eyes of one of the classmates as he listens to the tapes and reflects. If it hadn’t been a short audiobook, I don’t think I’d have finished it. Grade: C-/D+
Born With Teeth by Kate Mulgrew - This is a memoir by the actress best known for playing Janeway on Star Trek: Voyager and Red in Orange is the New Black. It's really good and readable. Some memoirs meander all over the place, but this one was just well-written; there are highs and lows and story arcs. Well done! Grade: B
The New Art of Capturing Love by Kathryn Hamm and Thea Dodds – The book’s subtitle is “The Essential Guide to Lesbian & Gay Wedding Photography” and that explains it exactly. The authors basically wrote this guide for people who want to get into the business of photographing LGBT weddings, and they make the case that many standard aspects of straight wedding photography are different for LGBT weddings. You won’t have a groom dressed in dark colors who is physically bigger than a bride wearing white; you might instead have two grooms in dark colors (so how do you make the photo pop), two brides (so how do you keep two voluminous gowns in the frame), you can’t do some of the old standby shots (like of the bigger groom dipping the smaller bride), and the wedding party – if there is one - is likely to be composed differently than your standard straight wedding party, etc, etc, etc. The guide part of the book was great, and I adored the many wedding photos, all in color. Makes a great coffee table book (I’m serious!) Grade: B+
Defending Jacob by William Landay – I fully admit that I read a ‘guilty pleasure’ book. This is a crime novel, about a district attorney whose son is charged with committing a heinous crime. I think part of the reason it ended up on my ‘to read’ list was because the son had been bullied and harassed, and I thought that might add an interesting dimension to the book. And you know, as much as this genre and this particular book are lightweights, I give them both full credit for holding my interest. I begin reading – but never finish – a lot of books that I no longer even bother to write about because the story wasn’t compelling. I think an author who writes a book that resists the book-marker deserves some kudos even if the book is not fine literature and even if I’ll likely have forgotten about the book in a year’s time. Grade: B-
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher – This was a mediocre book about a teenager who commits suicide, but not before leaving her classmates a series of tapes explaining why she did it. The story is told through the eyes of one of the classmates as he listens to the tapes and reflects. If it hadn’t been a short audiobook, I don’t think I’d have finished it. Grade: C-/D+
Born With Teeth by Kate Mulgrew - This is a memoir by the actress best known for playing Janeway on Star Trek: Voyager and Red in Orange is the New Black. It's really good and readable. Some memoirs meander all over the place, but this one was just well-written; there are highs and lows and story arcs. Well done! Grade: B
